• Rain that began Wednesday night continued into Thursday.
• Highest rainfall recorded yesterday was 55.6mm in Korangi.
• Another spell of westerly winds from March 24 to 27.
  

KARACHI: Rain continued to lash the port city on Thursday after at least 19 people were killed in a thunderstorm accompanied by gale-force winds.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms began lashing parts of Karachi on Wednesday night, which not only took lives but also damaged infrastructure and uprooted trees.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, rainfall in Karachi may vary from moderate to heavy in different areas today. The highest rainfall recorded yesterday was 55.6mm in Korangi.

Following yesterday’s rain, a noticeable coolness was felt in the city during the night. At present, the weather in Karachi is cloudy, with cool and pleasant conditions prevailing.

The Meteorological Department said the maximum temperature today is likely to range between 27°C and 29°C, while humidity levels currently stand at 82%.

Authorities said several people were killed when walls and roofs collapsed during heavy rain. In Baldia Town’s Mawachh Goth area, rescuers have so far recovered bodies of 13 people from the rubble of the collapsed building, as search operations continued overnight for more victims believed to be trapped beneath the debris.

Separately, a wall collapsed in Landhi’s Majeed Colony, killing two people, including a woman, while three people sustained injuries.

Another person lost his life after being struck by lightning in yet another incident near Yaru Goth in the Malir River.

A woman was also killed when the roof of her house collapsed in Korangi’s Sector 3½, while another man lost his life after a tree fell on him in Korangi No 5.

Rescue authorities said at least seven people were injured in various rain-related incidents across the city.

The PMD said strong winds accompanied the rainfall, with wind speeds reaching 90 kilometres per hour on Sharea Faisal and 97 kilometres per hour in Mauripur.

Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab asked residents to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary movement. “Number of trees have fallen due to heavy gusts of wind,” he warned.

Moreover, the weather department forecast that rain and thunderstorms with strong winds, along with isolated hailstorms, are likely to affect Karachi and other parts of Sindh on Thursday, as a westerly wave moves into the country’s western regions.

Under the influence of this weather system, the PMD said that rain and thunderstorms with strong winds, isolated hail, and occasional moderate to heavy showers are expected in Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Matiari, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Umerkot, Tharparkar, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Nosheroferoz, Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu districts, and across the Karachi Division.

Rain/thunderstorm with strong winds” were also likely in Larkana, Qambar Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Ghotki and Sukkur districts today and tomorrow with occasional gaps,” it added.

“Lightning strikes may occur at isolated places during the forecast period,” the PMD warned, advising farmers to manage their crops “according to the prevailing weather conditions”.

Another spell of westerly winds from March 24 to 27 may bring rain to Karachi and other parts of Sindh, the Meteorological Department said.